A number of portable devices now permit users of such devices to store records in removable media. At the same time, voice recognition technology has advanced to a point where it is not uncommon in relatively inexpensive devices. Typically voice recognition technology is employed to command the device to perform some task, which may include accessing a data record in the removable storage media.
Because these devices are typically used by one individual, the data stored on the removable media is personal, and may include contact information such as calling numbers and addresses, and calendar or schedule information for the user. However, the amount and type of information stored on the removable media is usually small because of the expense of the removable media. In order to perform voice recognition assisted access of the information stored on the removable media, the device must learn to recognize a spoken command of the particular user. Learning a particular command is known as training, and the data produced in the process that is used by the voice recognition system is substantial compared to the records stored on the removable media. It would be impractical to store this training data, or voice recognition tags, on the removable media. Therefore it is common to store the voice recognition tags in the device, for example in non-volatile memory.
Because the media on which the users records are stored is removable, and usable with other similar devices, it is not uncommon for a user to use the media with a different device. This may occur, for example, when the user obtains a new device. This presents a problem when voice recognition is involved because the voice recognition tags are stored in the device that trained the tags, and not on the media. Therefore, when the media is used with a new device, the user no longer has the benefit of the voice recognition tags.
An example of such a device in common use is a cellular radiotelephone having a subscriber identity module (SIM) for storing calling numbers and names or aliases associated with the calling numbers. This arrangement is standard in mobile phones operated in accordance with the Global Specification for Mobile (GSM) communications. The SIM contains numbers the user programs into the SIM. In some such phones, the information in the SIM is copied into a memory in the phone for faster access. With these phones, as well as other devices that operate with removable media, if voice recognition tags are used and associated with information on the SIM, a problem arises when the media or SIM is used in another device. Therefore a need exists for a method by which voice recognition tags can be properly associated with records stored in the removable media.